The Bible is not a dogmatic handbook but a historical book full of dramatic interest,” argued the Dutch-American theologian Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949). But this is not to dismiss out of hand “dogmatics” or the enterprise known as “systematic theology.” Instead, serious students of the Bible should employ both methods as mutually supportive for growing in […]
Wednesday, 08 March, 2023 by Ryan Glomsrud
The new Lives of Great Religious Books series from Princeton University Press aims to “recount the complex and fascinating histories of important religious texts”—biographies of books, in other words, not specifically authors. The books featured thus far have been chosen “for general readers,” and the biographies are written by “leading authors and experts.” Notable offerings […]
Friday, 30 June, 2017 by Ryan Glomsrud
At the very center of the Christian faith lies the belief in our Triune God. In fact, we contend in this issue of Modern Reformation that the heart of piety or Christian experience is the worship of God who is three in persons and one in essence. Nonetheless, there is a question that sometimes haunts […]
Friday, 31 October, 2014 by Ryan Glomsrud
"Let love be genuine’¦ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality" (Rom. 12:9-13). "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers" (Heb. 13:12). As we see in just these brief examples, Scripture calls us to live a life of genuine love and hospitality. In this issue, […]
Friday, 29 August, 2014 by Ryan Glomsrud
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He created man in his image, male and female, body and soul. We are remarkable creatures in this, the very pinnacle of God's creative work, as spiritual beings with blood coursing through our veins. We are capable of faith […]
Tuesday, 01 July, 2014 by Ryan Glomsrud
Sixty percent. That's the casualty rate in terms of teens and young adults abandoning church. The analogy that comes to mind is the First World War, where most of the casualties didn't happen suddenly. Trench warfare at places such as the Somme, the Marne, or Verdun introduced a new kind of "war of attrition." The […]
Wednesday, 30 April, 2014 by Ryan Glomsrud
Surveying the evangelical landscape, those of us of Calvinist or Reformation conviction are supposed to be the intellectual types, the so-called smarty-pants always ready with an answer. At any rate, that's our reputation. But what do we say when it comes to the difficult and intensely personal "why" questions that arise in the midst of […]
Friday, 28 February, 2014 by Ryan Glomsrud
"Do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?" Dorothy asks her fellow travelers in the Wizard of Oz. Oh, only "lions, and tigers, and bears," the Tin Man responds. The Israelites might well have sung a similar chorus about their entrance into the Promised Land, although "Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites, oh my," doesn't have […]
Monday, 30 December, 2013 by Ryan Glomsrud
From Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the "earth" as it was then known, the gospel went forth in the early decades and centuries of the new millennium, and daily many were added to the community of saints. From the perspective of the Roman Empire, Christianity went from a persecuted movement on the fringe of […]
Monday, 30 December, 2013 by Ryan Glomsrud
The angel's declaration "For unto you a child is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" did not take the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night completely unaware (Luke 2:11). We do know they were scared stiff, on one level. But if the shepherds were […]
Thursday, 31 October, 2013 by Ryan Glomsrud
Modern Reformation does not believe that the world today is necessarily any more sinful now than it was five hundred or a thousand years ago. Scripture speaks simply of two ages after the fall of Adam: this present evil age and the age that is to come (Heb. 6:5; 2 Cor. 4:4). To be sure, […]
Friday, 30 August, 2013 by Ryan Glomsrud
One of the comments that started me thinking seriously about Reformation piety was penned by our editor-in-chief in his book Putting Amazing Back into Grace: "Suppose we were to make a list of aids to spiritual growth. What might top the list? Prayer, Bible study, fasting, devotions, evangelism’¦. But how many of us would put […]
Friday, 28 June, 2013 by Ryan Glomsrud